1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for locking a table of a seat back such that the table can be maintained in a state of having been extracted from or refracted into the seat back, and an angle of the table with respect to the seat back in the extracted state is adjustable.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, according to an increase in the needs of consumers with respect to installation of various systems for convenience in vehicles, various kinds of apparatuses for convenience are installed in rear seats of the vehicles.
A table of a seat back is a representative example of the convenience apparatuses which are installed in the rear seats of the vehicles. A table may be provided on a seat back to allow a passenger to place food, books or the like on the table. The table of the seat back is preferably constructed such that when the use of the table is required, the table can be extracted from the seat back, and when it is not required, the table can be folded onto the seat back.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a table of a seat back, according to a conventional art. As shown in the drawing, a table T for a passenger, who sits on a rear seat, is provided on a rear surface of a seat back S of a front seat. For installation of the table T on the seat back S, a table locking apparatus is provided between the table T and the seat back S. In this art, as the table locking apparatus, a gas spring (not shown) is provided between the table T and the seat back S to unfold the table T from the seat back S and maintain the unfolded state of the table T.
However, in the conventional art, because of the volume of the gas spring, the table T is installed on the seat back S in a shape in which it protrudes from the seat back S. Therefore, the external appearance of the seat back S is deteriorated, and there is a possibility of interference between the table T and the knees of the passenger.
Furthermore, the installation of the gas spring increases the cost of manufacturing the seat back S having the table T.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.